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AAPL Stock: 490.51 ( -7.16 )

Apple denies universal ban on Facebook at retail

updated 04:15 pm EST, Fri February 6, 2009

Apple on Facebook ban


There is no universal policy in place against Facebook access in Apple Stores, investigation is said to show. Reports began to circulate on Friday that Apple was imposing a complete ban on Facebook, as a means of deterring people from loitering for the sole purpose of Internet access. Although bans on Facebook (as well as MySpace) have been put into place in Richmond and Los Angeles stores, Palo Alto and Washington DC locations continue to allow social networking sites.

Apple has imposed complete bans on websites in the past, most notably MySpace, which in May 2007 was blocked in every Apple Store chain. Current actions however are believed to be limited to individual managers, attempting to control foot traffic while ensuring that shoppers wanting to test a Mac, iPhone or iPod can find an open model.


by MacNN Staff

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TAGS :

 retail, MySpace, Facebook, social networking, Apple

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  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    +4
    02/06, 04:26pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    News?

    This is considered news?

  1. Roehlstation

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +1
    02/06, 04:46pm | report spam | Reply |

    Not News

    ALL kinds of places do this. And what is wrong with it?

  1. dwoodruff

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2006

    +2
    02/06, 05:20pm | report spam | Reply |

    well...

    Is it called the Apple store or the Apple Web Access point?

  1. iphonerulez

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2008

    +3
    02/06, 07:19pm | report spam | Reply |

    You can't believe

    anything you read, nowadays. It didn't mean much to me whatever they banned, but I honestly thought the way bloggers were going on about this FaceBook banning, I thought it was something that was passed down from Apple. Now I find out that it was probably based on some local management decision to keep certain freeloaders out of the Apple stores. It's wrong to hog a machine for an hour if people are waiting, but I guess some people will try to abuse any policy. Fifteen or twenty minutes doesn't seem too much to test a computer you intend to buy. But if you're just using it day after day then maybe let some real customers use the demos. Whatever. I don't use a Retail Store Mac for anything.

  1. Loren

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2001

    -1
    02/07, 01:18am | report spam | Reply |

    that does it

    I'm buying a Dull!

  1. JEB

    Junior Member

    Joined: May 2001

    0
    02/07, 02:06am | report spam | Reply |

    Superpoke~!!!

    JEB has just sent all readers on this messageboard a fresh marshmallow Smores . . . !

  1. Fast iBook

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2003

    -4
    02/07, 11:41am | report spam | Reply |

    The internet...

    The internet is more than a handfull of time wasting sites like facebook, myspace etc. If someone wants to check email or look up current news or go to a forum site like macnn etc i dont see a problem with that. Instead of going to the apple store to "socialize" on mybook or facespce how bout using the time to call the person or text them or heck even meet up with them?

  1. benjaminwright

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2009

    -4
    02/07, 01:07pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    virus? worm?

    My research documents reports of the Koobface worm infecting (or attempting to infect) workplace-related computers by way of Facebook. Employers/organizations thus have security as a reason to block social network sites. http://computersafety.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/security-threat-facebook-and-myspace-at-work/ --Ben

  1. dimmer

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Feb 2006

    +3
    02/07, 07:20pm | report spam | Reply |

    Filtering

    When we were designing the Retail Network, the subject of Internet Filtering came up: did we want folks to be able to bring up p***? How about sites running content Apple didn't want announced? What to do.

    The decision was simple: no filtering system works. We have staff working the floor at all times. Why would anyone WANT to look at p*** in a store anyway? If it won't work, why bother with it?

    That said, the VPN solution implemented did allow for precise control of what sites could or could not be accessed, on a store by store basis. So when it was required, blocking access to sites was simple.

    The focus was/is still on the floor staff to monitor what people are doing, and just snuggle up to anyone "misbehaving" and make them either buy or walk. Works very well.

  1. cwsmith

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2007

    +2
    02/07, 10:21pm | report spam | Reply |

    I see no problem

    Many retail stores with computers on display limit Internet access or turn it off entirely. The store I used to work for did not limit or block the Internet, but we had a very small showroom and we were one-on-one with the customers who walked in.

    Best Buy, Circuit City, and yes, Apple are all in the business of selling computers, not to be a free Internet café for people who have no interest in purchasing anything.

    Likewise, your local Mercedes-Benz dealer is in the business of selling cars, not to cater to people who only want to sit behind the wheel of a car they'll never be able to afford.

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